In November 2000 the former Artistic Director (Ballet & Dance), MAKI Asami, presented her first revised choreography for La Bayadère with great success. This production brought out the beauty of the classical ballet and, together with the spectacular change of settings and the gorgeous deep oriental colours, offered an unconventional experience not found in other works to date.

An abundance of features sets this production apart. In the spirits' dance in the Kingdom of Shades, the highlight is when the spirits slowly dance down a slope. At the end of the story when Nikiya and Solor ascend to heaven after the temple crashes down with a roar, the beauty is breath-taking. The music in the last scene was arranged specially for the NNTT by the late John LANCHBERY, the prominent conductor and arranger of ballet pieces. The drama created by the characters in this piece has a certain appeal foreign to classical works such as The Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty. Nikiya is a temple dancer with a pure heart and a strong core. Her lover is Solor, a warrior of the king. However, Gamzatti, the king's daughter, is also in love with Solor and at strife with Nikiya. Then there is the High Brahmin in love with Nikiya. This production will draw many wishing to see how the cast portrays this complex human drama.